Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Defiance Part 2

My post from a couple of days ago caused quite a stir with some people. It is never my intention write things purely to rile people up, but this post seemed to do just that. Anyway, my whole point behind writing that post was two-fold.

1. I wanted to to discuss the permissibility of Music. This is a pretty plain and simple topic. There are differences of opinion out there, but I usually go with the stronger opinion, which, in this case is that it is not permissible.

2. I wanted to point out some of the defiant attitudes I'd noticed on blogs and forums about some Muslim's choice to listen to music. Perhaps this part of the post was not the best of ideas.

So, getting back to point #1. Once while I was in a class at the masjid a sister asked our teacher about Music. The discussion went on for a while and someone asked if Nasheeds were ok. Our teacher's answer was really good. She said that if you can understand what is being said and determine that there is no biddah or shirk being talked about AND there are no musical instruments than it MAY be ok, but its best to just leave it. What I found interesting about what she said was the part about understanding the words of the song. A lot of nasheeds are in Arabic, Urdu etc. I don't know these languages well enough (or at all) to determine what they singer is actually saying. So as a little experiment I found a nasheed in Urdu and asked someone I knew to tell me what it said. They told me that the song was in great praise of the Prophet but it actually went too far and seemed like shirk to them.

So, if we should be careful about nasheeds, which are supposed to be Islamic songs, wouldn't you think that staying away from today's pop music is only logical? A lot of people will defend their choice to listen to this music saying that it doesn't really contain anything bad so it should be alright, but have you really read these lyrics? Have you looked at the album covers?

As for the 2nd point of my post, I only wanted to discuss how the defensive and defiant attitude that some Muslims have about music should be a sign to them that there is something wrong. Think about it... you get so angry when people try to give you advice and show you proofs. You sometimes even tell people upfront that 'you don't want to hear it' anymore. You defend your choice to listen to music with such passion that you would think that it was something important in this world. Its like an obsession for you. An addiction that you can't give up. When you read something about music being haram you get so angry. Where are these emotions coming from? Not from anywhere good.... And you say that music has no bad effects on people?

Inshallah this post does not get anyone all puffy and irritated. And if it does, try to think about how Shaytan is loving every moment of your aggravation, because he is winning when you feel like that about something so trival. He loves it when you disobey Allah and his messenger.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

And aslo Shaytan loves it when he causes fitnah to the Ummah and divides it so that each would think the other is wrong and maybe wars will arouse and we lose "the rope of Allah"

Lazeena Umm Yusuf said...

Oh my Allah, not another debate on music. What happened to erring on the side of caution? If something is debatable you just avoid it. I don't see why people can't just give up music since it's doubted whether it's permissible or not. The Prophet (SAW) told us when something is doubtful avoid it. On top of that, if you can't avoid something just in case for Allah's sake, sorry to say, but it just shows your weaknesses. When it comes to music that's all I personally have to say at this point. If you can't give it up for Allah, then check yourself. The sahabas used to give us PERMISSIBLE things for Allah's sake, ALL their wealth, their spouses, their LIVES - ANYTHING, what's a couple songs? SubhanAllah, Allahu musta'an

Anonymous said...

As i have mentioned on the previous post, i do listen to music and i do not see anything wrong with it Islamically. Not everyone who listens to music is being defiant and does not want to accept the truth, some simply believe that it is permissable. As it is unclear area, you cannot expect people to hold same views.

I have not come across anyone who commented here as being angry or emotional, unless you want to label them as so because they differ from you.

Anonymous said...

Assalamu alaikum wr wb,

I started to stop listening to nasheeds because I found they were replacing music - meaning I was listening to them and enjoying them as music - for their tunes and melodies rather than contemplating the words. Also they were taking my attention away from listening to Qur'an.
I find there is a time and place for nasheeds.

Jamilah said...

Anon1 - The tafsir for the ayat that contains the rope of allah talks about coming together on truth and correctness.

Umm Yusuf - I agree with you about erring on the side of caution. Leave thing that are at least questionable for the sake of Allah :)

Anon2 - I am not talking about comments just on the first post (some did not get published and some were deleted by the author) I'm talking about the general defiant attitude I see in many places. Scholars that find it 'permissible' do not give a blanket approval to listen to anything and everything either.

Al Ghariba - I was pretty much like you. I swiched from regular music to Nasheed and then realized that they were taking me away from what I was supposed to be focusing on as well. :)

Anonymous said...

I think your reply is irrevelant to what I was saying , perhaps you got me wrong?

I was referring to the attitude people get when they don't agree on something and start taking it personally consequently they start insulting each other :S , which Shaytan loves to watch!

It was known that the Sahaba used to differ on the area of fiqh but they never lost the rope of Allah that always gathered them.

Fatou Thioune said...

the best thing is to pray people get their senses bback, make doua for them. cause showing them the proofs sure dont convince them

Jamilah said...

Anon - I was trying to clear the meaning of 'the rope of Allah with you', that it didn't refer to comin together on error. Speaking of the sahabah, I wonder what they would have done? Would they have listened to music if the Prophet compared it to zina?

Habibti - Yes I agree, no one does seem to listen. It our duty to point things out to people but we can't force them to accept the truth.

Anonymous said...

Why are you trying to specify to this topic?? why don't you look to the bigger picture?

I'm not here to argue with you that music is halal or haram cause apparently you think I'm trying to convince you it's halal so you try to preach me!

With all the respect to your effort that you try to deliver what's best for other muslims ,let's leave it to them to choose without labeling them , cause one day we used to commit their sins.
"you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) guide not whom you like, but Allâh guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided."(28:56)

Will say it more clearly , arguing doesn't result in good outcomes.

"But, man is ever more quarrelsome than anything."(18:54)

P.S : I don't listen to music cause I think it's bad , plus there's a very clear hadith that stated mustical instruments brings evil to the Ummah.

Thank you.

Jamilah said...

Anon

I'm not sure what your intention is here, but when I write about something on my blog its because it something that is on mind. What is the issue of writing about a specific topic? If what I write bothers you, I'm sorry, but it is what I see and how I feel about it. I'm not trying to argue about anything, I'm defending a position, I'm also doing my duty as a muslim to share this with other muslims.

I read a lot of other blogs and forums and when something stands out to me I come here and write about it. I see some really defiant people when it comes to THIS topic... they get so wrapped up in copping attitude about music. That is why I wrote about it.

Do I know you, by the way? You don't sign your comments so I don't know.

Candice said...

Point one of your original post was a good one. Some people might never have heard of the hadith about musical instruments and they could have changed their minds because of it. And some people trying to give up music might have found some inspiration.
But as you said, it wasn't the best of ideas to "point out" the "defiant attitudes". It is not great to label people defiant when you know nothing about them, and it really just causes division.
About the original post, I think I was the main one to comment there, I think. I felt the need to just because you mentionned it being in response to other blog entries about music that you saw recently and so I took it as a response to me in some ways, seeing as I had posted about music like a day before.
And I don't know if you completely got the wrong impression of me and who I am, but just about nothing you say about these defiant individuals (obsessed, addicted, angry) applies to me. Including being defiant. Anyway, maybe that comment was addressed towards the authors of the many comments you were forced to reject, I guess I can't know. But I want to point out that again, you're accusing people of things you don't know about them.

Jamilah said...

Candice

No it was not about you. And when I talk about defiant people, I'm talking about people that basically come out and say 'I don't care what anyone says, I'm listening to my music'... that to me is defiant. I don't need to know a whole lot about someone when people put themselves out there like that.

Anonymous said...

"And it is not appropriate for faithful men and women, when Allah and his messenger have judged a matter, to consider it a matter of choice for themselves; and one who does not accept the judgment of Allah and his Messenger has indeed entered darkness" 33:36

Anonymous said...

As Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

So here we (as a Ummah) are again. I remember when I first took my Shahadah, I ran to put on an abaya, hijab, and even niqab from the beginning but music was a struggle for me. And that is the thing some folks are still struggling. And when folks are struggling they take offense.

There is a 3 hour lecture that was recorded at a conference in NJ on the impermissiblity of music by Abu Mujahid Fareed Abdullah. I gave a cd to my brother that used to say he wasnt sure of the proofs. After listening to the lectures he had to confess that he was just weak. Masha Allah

May Allah protect us from the destruction of our desires. Ameen

Jamilah said...

Wa Alaikum Salam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

I was at that conference and I heard some of that lecture (I also go the CD for review).

I know a lot of people that struggle with it, and admitting its a struggle is the first step... its those who openly defy its impermissibility and pretend to know better than Allah swt and his messenger saws that get me upset.

Unknown said...

Wa alaykum salaam,

Sister Jamilah, you're absolutely right. The reason why you got such a strong reaction is that people will always hate it when you point out their mistakes. If you talk about the mistakes of others, they will listen for hours and hours on end, but the moment you start advising them and admonishing them for their mistakes though you may be gentle, they will hate it and will curse you etc. I've experienced this myself and I think it's safe to say that people know that music is haraam. It's not an issue of fiqh (a 'debatable' issue).

The fact of the matter is that we are all inclined towards music and we love it. But we have to strive and fight our nafs and avoid listening to it.

Gabby Hijabi said...

.A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him, came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Bu..ath (a story about the pre-Islamic war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Awus). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laid down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, 'Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?' Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his face towards him and said, 'Leave them.' When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out and they left." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

This indicates that these two girls were not so young as claimed by some scholars. If they were, Abu Bakr would not have been angry with them in such manner. In addition, in this hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to teach the Jews that Islam has room for merriment and that he himself was sent with a moderate and flexible legislation. There is also another important lesson to learn here. It draws our attention to the fact that one needs to introduce Islam to others in a good fashion, along with displaying its moderateness and magnanimity.

Moreover, we can also cite as corroborating this Allah's words that read, "But when they spy some merchandise or pastime they break away to it and leave thee standing. Say: That which Allah hath is better than pastime and than merchandise, and Allah is the best of providers." (Al-Jumu..ah: 11)

In this verse, Allah Almighty joins pastime with merchandise. He does not dispraise any of them, He just only rebuked the Companions who left Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) alone giving the khutbah (Friday Sermon), when they all rushed to attend to the caravan and beating of the drums celebrating its arrival.It is a fact that Allah had prohibited for the Children of Israel some of the good things of this worldly life as a punishment for their misdeeds.

He says, "Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews, We forbade them good things which were (before) made lawful unto them, and because of their much hindering from Allah's way. And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretences. We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve a painful doom." (An-Nisa': 160-161)

Before sending Prophet Muhammad, He Almighty referred to him in the earlier scriptures as, "Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul." (Al-A..raf: 157)

Thus, Islam left nothing good or sound but declared it to be halal (lawful). This is a sign of mercy to this Ummah (nation or community), moving along the line of its comprehensive and eternal message. Allah Almighty says, "They ask you (O Muhammad) what is made lawful for them. Say: (all) good things are made lawful for you." (Al-Ma'idah: 4)

take what you wish from the above info.. i'm not going to delve into it.. i dont think it is a debatable issus.